Since generating Yuan within his body, Zhong Yun had been constantly striving to control it, influenced by Wuxia novels, viewing this energy as akin to internal strength.

Yet, he had never succeeded; the Yuan behaved like a mischievous toddler, utterly ignoring Zhong Yun. If he willed it toward his arm, it would surge toward his feet instead; if he focused it in his lower abdomen, it would scatter throughout his entire body.

The feeling was reminiscent of Duan Yu’s Six Meridians Divine Sword—no, even worse. Duan Yu’s sword had moments when it flared to life; the Yuan had never once heeded Zhong Yun’s command.

Zhong Yun had once inquired of ZER if there was any method to control the Yuan. ZER confirmed there was, but that section of data had not yet been unlocked.

That was tantamount to saying nothing. Zhong Yun was helpless and could only fumble his way through on his own.

During the "Combat Simulation Training," he actually grasped a few techniques for its use, though they were rudimentary and inefficient. Like last night when crafting the invisibility cloak, a mere thirty seconds had left him utterly drained. Yet, the Yuan contained within him was far more substantial than that expenditure suggested.

Zhong Yun estimated that his efficiency in using the Yuan might be less than five percent; ninety-five percent of it was utterly wasted.

He constantly sought ways to boost that efficiency, but frustratingly, he remained without a clue.

Today, the system was actually going to teach him the technique of the character "Break" (Po), which sent him into raptures of joy. Wasn't this precisely a usage skill for the Yuan?

Today was truly his lucky day. Zhong Yun was overcome with excitement.

Calming his racing heart, Zhong Yun stared intently at the silhouette. The figure began throwing punches again. He watched with meticulous focus, terrified of missing even the slightest detail.

After demonstrating three times, the silhouette vanished. Zhong Yun instantly sprang up. “Damn it. Don't go! I didn’t see clearly yet. Hey, hey…” A terrible anxiety gripped him internally.

At that moment, the system’s voice sounded again. “Statistically, your skill level is completely substandard. You cannot learn the physical techniques. Po.”

“I can learn it, I can learn it,” Zhong Yun pleaded quickly. “Let me watch a few more times. Just a few more times and I’ll have it down.”

The system ignored him. “Given the current situation, your challenge is temporarily suspended. First, you must study the introductory techniques.”

“What!” Zhong Yun, who had been stamping his feet in frustration, froze momentarily. This was immediately followed by an explosion of ecstasy.

The usage techniques for the Yuan were actually easy to practice. Like the cultivation required to accumulate Yuan, they relied on breathing and meditation.

Originally, the accumulation and usage training of the Yuan were supposed to proceed concurrently. However, because ZER’s database had so many closed sections, only the accumulation method was available. This was why Zhong Yun was missing one ‘leg’; while the Yuan within him was quite profound, his technique was shockingly poor.

The Yuan usage technique, when stripped down, was simple: continuously train the Yuan until they became utterly "obedient"—striking east when told east, striking west when told west, like an extension of the will.

The training method involved entering a meditative state, using controlled breathing to compel the Yuan to flow according to one's intentions, slowly turning these recalcitrant “toddlers” into disciplined “soldiers.”

The Yuan within Zhong Yun was already quite considerable, so this process appeared slower, but he wasn't anxious. Knowing the method was enough; he would surely achieve flawless mastery eventually.

He immersed himself completely in the practice, his mind empty of external concerns, forgetting even the passage of time. It wasn't until Chen Wen knocked on the door, jarring him awake, that he reluctantly disconnected from the simulated reality.

It was now approaching noon.

Going downstairs with Chen Wen, they saw Tian Hai still snoring soundly on the sofa.

Chen Wen rubbed his stomach and asked, “My stomach is practically collapsing from hunger. Is there anything to eat?”

Zhong Yun glanced at the time. “Soon. Someone will be delivering food shortly. Drink some water first to tide you over.” As he spoke, he walked to the table and brewed a cup of sobering tea.

Then, walking over to the deeply sleeping Tian Hai, he pinched his nose with one hand. As Tian Hai’s mouth opened, Zhong Yun poured the sobering tea right in.

“Ah, spit—” Tian Hai jolted awake from his slumber, frantically wiping the water from his clothes, murmuring in confusion, “Is it raining?”

The perpetrator, Zhong Yun, was doubled over with laughter. Chen Wen, who was drinking water, took one look at Tian Hai’s bewildered state and let out a choked laugh, spraying water everywhere. He hunched over, coughing until his face turned deep red.

Tian Hai, just woken up, appeared somewhat dazed, staring blankly at Chen Wen, clearly not understanding why he was coughing so violently. He asked, “Did you catch a cold?”

“I can’t take it anymore,” Zhong Yun gasped, clutching his stomach, tears of mirth streaming down his face.

Chen Wen nearly laughed himself into respiratory arrest, banging his hands hard on the armrests of his chair.

After a good while, Tian Hai finally processed what had happened and sobered up. “Damn it, you pranked me.” Just as he was about to explode in anger, the doorbell rang right on cue.

Zhong Yun seized the opportunity to slip away and open the door; it was the food delivery. Last night, Zhong Yun hadn’t forgotten to call Xiao Qing, asking her to send food today. After eating nutrient paste for over a month at the alien base, his palate was numb.

On the base, the person he thought about most wasn’t Liu Yunqi, but Xiao Qing’s unparalleled cooking skills. It wasn’t for nothing that some said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. That saying was profoundly true.

It wasn't Xiao Qing who arrived, but a waiter from the Yunlai Restaurant. Zhong Yun chatted with him briefly before remembering that today was Xiao Qing’s exam day.

The entrance exam for junior high school, unlike the unified admissions tests in Zhong Yun’s previous country on Earth, involved autonomous testing organized by the schools in Davo.

Naturally, public schools offered admission without examination, as primary education remained within the scope of compulsory education. However, if one wished to enter the private institutions, they had to pass that specific school's organized test.

After seeing the delivery person off, Zhong Yun returned to the living room.

Seeing Zhong Yun enter with the food, Tian Hai and Chen Wen lunged forward like starved ghosts.

If Zhong Yun hadn't specifically asked Xiao Qing to prepare extra yesterday, he wouldn't have eaten his fill today. Tian Hai and Chen Wen didn’t possess Zhong Yun’s good fortune to eat Xiao Qing’s home cooking every day.

“Xiao Qing is truly too biased,” Chen Wen grumbled between massive bites. “She even specially delivered yours to your home.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tian Hai agreed, his mouth full.

Zhong Yun paid them no mind; his own mouth was busy too. Eating with these two wolves, if he ate even slightly slower, everything would be swept clean.

After finishing the meal, the three rested briefly, then headed out together. Since today was the last day of vacation, they naturally wanted to enjoy themselves to the fullest. Their destination today was the amusement park.

They played until dark, and only then did the three reluctantly head home, needing an early rest before school started the next morning.

Watching the other two drive away, Zhong Yun pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

The face of a beautiful woman appeared on the screen. “Ah, it’s you?” The woman covered her mouth, seeming very surprised.

“It’s me.” Zhong Yun’s lips curved slightly. “Are you free tonight?”

“I am, I am.” Surprise flashed in the woman’s eyes as she nodded rapidly.

“I’ll wait for you in front of the Pearl Tower entrance in one hour. Be punctual; I dislike tardiness.”

“Understood.”

P: Recommending a friend's book, Jurassic Record: Super Saiyan in the Jurassic Era, catalog number 1228133.